Spring-box for spring-motors.



P. GATUCCI.

SPRING BOX FOR SPRING MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.10, 1911.

1,029,852, Patented June 18, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PLINY CATUCCI, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO A. F. MEILFELBACH & BROTHER, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SPRING-BOX FOR SPRING-MOTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed November 17, 1910, Serial No. 592,818. Divided and this application filed April Serial No. 619,934.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PLINY CAlUCCI, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Boxes for Spring-Motors, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make, construct, and use the same.

In the n'ianufacture of spring motors for various purposes, as, for example, phonegraphs, clocks, and other devices where a spiral spring is utilized as the motive power, it is quite often the custom to mount the spring in a spring box or barrel; and when it is desired to produce an unusually long running motor, to connect two such boxes or barrels together, with the spirals oi' the springs in opposite directions, mounting them upon a sectional shaft in such manner that one shalt section is used to wind up the springs, while the other section carries the gear through which the tension or power of the springs is communicated to the mechanism to be operated thereby. In this case the outer ends of the. springs are connected to the inner faces of their respective barrels, and their inner ends are conncotcd respectively to the shaft sections, the arrangement being such that the springs are connected up in series or tandem, with the spring bul'l'cls rigidly secured together by overlapping cross pieces.

The main object oi my improvement. is to so construct. the spring barrels or boxes that thcy may bc readily connected for operation, and as readily discounccled for inspe tion or rcpair, without the necessity of removing screws, rivets, or any other fastening device.

Another object is to provide a construction whereby a plurality of such pairs of tandem springs may be connected together so that advantage may be taken of the combined length of the entire set of springs, in order that a long running motor may be produced.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of the structures illust ated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l. is a side clevation of my improved spring box. Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line o--u,, of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 a vertical section on line b-Z of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on line 0-0, of Fig. i. Fig. (5 illustrates a slight modification of the bar rel connecting device, with the parts separated. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line cld, of Fig. (3, showii'ig the locking devices connected. Fig. 8 is a vertical axial section of a plurality of spring boxes connected up in tandem.

Similar reference numerals refer to like parts througlmut the specifications and drawings.

in the preferred form of my improvement, l have shown the spring box as made up of two telescoping cups, 1 and 2, mounted upon the sectional shaft 3, 4. In the marginal periphery of the cup 2, 1 cut a plurality of L-shaped slots 5, (only one of these-slots appears in Fig. 1, the others being obscured). In the margin of the cup l, i cut a plurality of lugs or hooks 6, lo rating them in such a position that when the two cups are telescoped together, the slots 5, and the hooks (S, will register and interlock, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5, when given a slight twisting motion; a re verse twisting motion will serve to unlock the cups, and permit of their separation, as will be readily understood.

The sectional shaft is made 'up of the tw parts 3 and 4, in axial alinemeut. with each other, 'with their adjacent cnds provided rc spcctivcly with the deep sockct T, and the rcduccd cnd 9, nicely titted together, so that one section may rotate upon-and independently ol' the other. The sectional shat. cxlcnds through the central apertures .l and it), respectively, in the plain heads of the cups 1 and 2, so that said cups may rotate frcelyupon the shaft.

' lVit'hin the two telescoped cups 1 and 3. and mounted for free-rotation upon the shaft 3, 4, is the separator disk ll, which is of a diameter to pass freely within the cup 2, and rest against the edge of the cup 1, as shown in Fig. 2, thus forming two separated spring chambers, within which are located the spiral springs 12 and 13. These springs are oppositely coiled, as will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 3 and 4. ,As a means for securing the outer apertured ends of the springs 12 and 13 respectively to the rims of the-cups 1 and 2, the hooks 14 and 15, are cut out of the metal and pressed inwardly, as shown. The ends of th'e springs 12 and 13, readily take over these hooks, so that when the s rings are wound up, the springs will be rmly secured to the cups 1 and 2.

To each of the shaft sections 3 and 4, are rigidly secured the hooks 16 and 17 respectively, with their outer hooked ends oppositely directed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The inner ends of the springs 12 and 13, being provided with apertures, readily take over these books 16 and 17, and a rotation of shaft section 3, will cause a corresponding winding up of the spring 12; the latter will carry with it the cup 1, which, being connected to the cup 2, will wind up the spring 13, as will be readily understood. If, now the end of shaft section 4, has rigidly mounted thereon, a gear wheel w, engaging a train as y the power or tension of the wound-up springs will expend itself through such train of gears.

If desired, I may make the two'cups 1 and 2 of the same diameter, and secure to their edges the hooks 18 and 19, as shown in Figs. 0 and 7, so that when the cupsare brought together and given a relative twist, the hooks'18 and 19, will interlock and thus secure the two cups together.

Inasmuch as the springs are oppositely coiled, it is clear that when they are under tension, there will be no tendency for-either of the interlocking devices above described, to separate; but when the springs have run down the two cups may be given a reverse twist in order to disengage theinterlocking hooks, after which the two cups may be separated for inspection or repair, as desired. I

-Where a longer running motor is desired, the sectional shaft may be lengthened, and a plurality of the springboxes mounted thereon, as illustrated in Fig. 8. In this case, the shaft sections 20 and 21 are substantially the same. in structure above described,-with the exception that the reduced portioh 22, is much longer, and has mounted upon it the sleeves 23 and 21. The spring barrels 25, 26 and 27, are each the same in construction as above described, and the inner ends of the springs within each barrel are secured to the hooks of ad.- jacent sections of the shaft; that is to say,

spring 28 is connected to section 20; spring 29, is connected to sleeve 23; spring 30, is connected to sleeve 23; springs 31 and 32, are connected to sleeve 24; and spring 33, is connected to shaft section 21. The wind- 7 ing up of shaft section '20, while section 21,

remains stationary, will result in putting all of the springs under a uniform tension, which may be let off in the manner heretofore described, through appropriate gear trains.

I have not thought it necessary to illustrate the entire motor structure, as such de- I vicesare well. known to those familiar with the art, and the specific application of my improvements will be readily understood},

This application, so far as it relates to the means for interlocking the twospring cups 1 and 2, is a division of my prior application for improvements in phonographs, Ser. No. 592,818, filed November 17, 1910, and reference is made to that application for a full understanding of one class of spring motors to which the improvements herein described are applicable. 4

I claim: 2 l

1. In a spring box for spring motors, the combination of a sectional box, a spring secured within and to each section of said box, and means for detachably connecting said box sections by a relatively twisting motion of said box sections.

2. In a spring box for spring motors, the combination of a box comprising a pair of telescoping sections, a hook upon the inner section and a corresponding slot upon the other section for engagement to lock said sections together.

3. In a spring box for spring motors, the combination of a sectional shaft, a pair of telescoping spring cups mounted upon said shaft, means for interlocking said cups together comprising an Lshaped slot in one section and a hook upon the other section for engagement with said slot.

4. In a spring box structure for spring motors, the combination of a sectional shaft, a separate spiral spring secured at'its inner end to each of said shaft sections, a

spring cup inclosing each of said springs,

and loosely mounted upon'said shaft, and means for'interlocking said spring cups by a relatively twisting motion.

5. Iii a spring box structure for spring motors, the'combination of a shaft composed of alined and independently rotatable sections, a sectional spring barrel composed of a pair of telescoping spring cups, said barrel being rotatably and concentrically? mounted upon said shaft, and means for def tachably conneciing said (ups fngeiiier by a reiativvly twisting lilfliifil}. wind spying. lncated within and having connected res 'iectiwiy in (:l'ii, of hili i cup sections and their inner ends (JUHHH'HKi spectively to said shaft; sectiuna. of L-shaped slots upon one of said (up sections, a plurality of hunks upnn the other of said cup sect-ions, whereby said cups; may

:1 plurality iiliS il iii {in}; (if

he mnnncied together by a i'niuiiwly in'isi- 1O 1 1111: motion. ihvn nuim- QHK C" This spcviiimtiun signml and \Yihiwwd Mzuuii 1911.

Phi i\ Y CAT CC;

itnesres:

Lnris M. SANDERS, I. D. QIACPADDEN. 

